ZUCCHINI FRITTATA WITH CUCUMBER-YOGURT SAUCE

Posted in Small Dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

It’s been incredibly hot in this neck of the woods, so our dinners are for the most part light and easy to prepare. This frittata was inspired by a recipe from Elle a la Table. Delicious, even if the cucumber sauce seemed a bit unusual to be paired with it. They worked well together, much to my delight.

ZUCCHINI FRITTATA WITH CUCUMBER-YOGURT SAUCE
(inspired by Elle a la Table)

5 eggs
1 shallot, minced finely
1 zucchini (you might not need the whole zucchini, depending on its size)
20 g butter, divided
1 tablespoon grape seed oil
50 g pecorino cheese, grated
1/2 cucumber
150 g thick Greek yogurt
Herbes de Provence to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the sauce: peel and grate the cucumber. Mix them with the yogurt, Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. Reserve in the fridge until needed.

Wash the zucchini and cut in very thin rounds, do not peel it. In a large frying pan, cook the shallot and zucchini slices with half the butter and the olive oil over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs. Stir in the grated pecorino. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Increase the heat under the pan, add the remaining butter, and pour in the eggs. Cook until the bottom is fully set, cover the pan to allow steam to help start setting the top. Flip the frittata with the help of a plate, and cook the second side for a few minutes, util just set.

Serve with the cucumber sauce. It is also very good cold.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I don’t buy Pecorino cheese that often, but I probably should. It has such a sharp bite, sometimes it’s exactly what you need. For the frittata I used my Tarte Tatin pan, which is quite appropriate with the handles that allow for efficient “flipping”. The diameter is 9 3/4 inch, 2 inches high. You will have to use the amount of zucchini slices that fully cover your pan, and also play with the number of eggs. Full coverage is needed, but you cannot add a large volume or it will be a mess to try and flip it. For our pan, five eggs was the perfect amount.

The cucumber sauce is quite refreshing, you can use it as a side dish for all sorts of meals, I am dreaming of grilled salmon next. I was not sure if I was going to like the combination, so I added alongside. But here’s my second helping…

Very delicious, simple and light dinner. Slices of sourdough were of course much appreciated also…

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20Jul2026

PINK VELVET LAYER CAKE

Posted in Cake by sallybr

Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but wonderful for any other celebration, this is a real adorable design and not too complicated to make. However, it helps to have a smooth frosting to start with, and that can make a baker hyperventilate a bit. Don’t ask me how I know….

PINK VELVET LAYER CAKE
(slightly modified from I’ll Bring the Cake)

¾ cup buttermilk
⅔ cup sour cream
⅓ cup vegetable oil
4 egg whites
1 tablespoons raspberry emulsion (I used this one)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons freeze-dried raspberries, powdered in a food processor
1 box white cake mix
pink gel food dye, a couple of small drops

for the vanilla buttercream:
3 sticks (1½ cups) unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream (plus more if needed)
7 to 8 cups powdered sugar

Heat the oven to 325°F. Prepare three 6-inch round cake pans covering the bottom with parchment and spraying baking spray on the sides and bottom. Reserve.

In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, oil, egg whites, raspberry emulsion, vanilla and freeze-dried raspberries until thoroughly combined. Sift in the cake mix and pink foo dye, whisk until just combined. Split the batter evenly among the prepared pans.

Bake for 25 to 27 minutes, until the center is baked through. Let the cakes cool in the pan for about a minute before flipping them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap and transfer the cakes to the freezer for 30 minutes before proceeding with frosting. You can also save them in the fridge to continue the following day.

Make the buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until it’s light and fluffy. Add the salt, vanilla, and heavy cream and beat again until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time. Add a little more heavy cream if needed, then flip the mixer to high speed and beat until the buttercream is lighter in color and texture, about 2 minutes. Separate one cup of frosting to dye pink, leave the rest plain.

Assemble the cake: Place a cardboard cake round on a cake turntable. Dot a little bit of buttercream in the center of the round and spread it out with an angled icing spatula. Place the first chilled cake layer in the center. Add a layer of buttercream. Place the next cake layer on top, then repeat, making sure to line the layers up evenly. After adding the top cake layer, crumb coat the cake by spreading a thin layer of buttercream around the entire cake. Freeze the cake for 5 minutes.

To the reserved buttercream, add 1 drop of soft-pink gel coloring and stir to incorporate. Pipe hearts and little blobs, using a round tip for the hearts, and an open star to the little blobs. Cover the top with sprinkles and add a decorative border with a 1M piping tip.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This recipe is an example of “doctored cake mix”, in which you start with a box cake component but add bells and whistles to it. Many will twist their noses, I honestly do not see anything wrong, I can bake a cake from scratch, but don’t mind taking a little shortcut here and there. I donated the cake whole, and I don’t feel like asking volunteers to take pictures for me, they have a lot to think about during the dinners, so I cannot show you the inside. It got very nice reviews, though, so I am confident about sharing the recipe with my readers. The pink color I used is my all-time-fave, Dusty Rose. Every chance I get, I incorporate it into my bakes.

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16Jul2026

COCONUT-DILL SALMON WITH GREEN BEANS AND CORN

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

Huge thank you to my dear friend Margie, who recommended this recipe. In fact, she often sends me recipes she loves, and they are always winners. This one I found particularly unusual because apart from the use of dill, which is a traditional match with salmon, corn and green beans seemed unexpected to me. And you know what? They work like a charm! Margie is a fantastic cook, world-traveler and great writer. I take this opportunity to share her substack site (click here), so you can subscribe (it is free!) and read about her adventures.

COCONUT-DILL SALMON WITH GREEN BEANS AND CORN
(slightly modified from New York Times)

1 (2-pound) salmon fillet (skin on or off)
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut cream
1tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tsp sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 lemon
chopped fresh dill to taste (you can use up to 1/2 cup)
8 ounces green beans, trimmed
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced into halves or quarters if large

Heat an outdoor grill. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and place on a large strip of heavy-duty aluminum foil on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.

In a small bowl, combine the coconut cream, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper. Zest the lemon right into the bowl and squeeze in 1 tablespoons juice. Stir in the fresh dill. Pour half of the dressing over the fish and set the other half aside. Wrap the fish in the foil by turning up the sides and crimping them together to form a packet.

On another large strip of foil, toss the green beans with oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Wrap the beans in the foil to form a packet. Place both the salmon and green bean packets on the grill and cover if using a gas grill. Grill until the green beans and salmon are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the fish packet to a large serving platter and open the top.

Open the green bean packet, transfer the beans to a large bowl and add the corn, tomatoes, more fresh dill, half of the reserved dressing and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat. To serve, top the fish with some of the vegetables and remaining dressing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I had never grilled green beans in a packet like that, and loved the result, it is so easy and mess-free, I will be making it often, whenever the main dish involves grilling. The salmon, cooked in the foil, developed a very soft texture, with the nice added bonus of the coconut sauce, a bit on the sweet-and-sour path. Perfect! If you have a ton of dill available use it, I did not and was a bit shocked at the price of dill at the grocery store, so I reduced the amount considerably. Margie told me she made the recipe again and used cilantro, and thought it was a nice twist, consider that as another possibility. Hardest part of the recipe? Getting the corn kernels off the cob, I am not particularly fond of that, but nothing beats the freshness of corn prepared that way. Go for it. I do have a perfect tool to help that job, so not sure why I am winning….

Margie, thanks for always inspiring me!

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12Jul2026

COCONUT LAMINGTONS

Posted in Cake, Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Maybe you know Haniela from her amazing cookie decorating skills, but she goes way beyond that: she is an accomplished baker on all sorts of areas. One of her husband’s favorite desserts is the Australian classic, Lamington. Hani has used this recipe for a long, long time and her blog post about it makes this potentially intimidating concoction pretty straightforward to make. Check her detailed article here.

COCONUT LAMINGTONS
(from Haniela’s blog)

for the sponge cake:
2 + 1/3 cup all purpose flour (330 grams)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 + 1/4 cup powdered sugar (150 grams)
6 tbsp oil (82-85 grams)
2 tbsp honey (45 grams)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup milk, at room temperature (240-250 grams)

for the chocolate glaze:
2 + 1/2 cup powdered sugar (300 grams)
1/2 cup cocoa powder (50 grams)
6 tbsp milk (90-95 grams)
1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams)
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
unsweetened coconut (1 + 1/2 5oz bags)

Heat oven to 350°F.

Line a 9×13-inch cake pan with parchment. Into a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat 4 large eggs with powdered sugar on medium-high, for 5-8 minutes, until pale in color. Then gradually beat in oil untill well combined. Then beat in honey and lastly add vanilla extract. Beat well. Gradually, on medium speed beat in flour mixture, alternating with room-temperature milk.

Pour cake batter into a prepared 9×13 inch cake pan. Use a spatula to evenly distribute the batter into a pan. Bake the cake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack, cover it with a kitchen towel, and cool completely.

Trim the sides of the cake, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch off each side. Then cut the cake into 2-inch squares. Cover with a towel while you prepare the chocolate glaze so teh cake doesn’t crust around the edges.

Make the glaze: In a saucepan, combine powdered sugar, cocoa powder and milk. Heat on low heat until completely melted and smooth. Then, gradually add cut-up butter and heat the glaze until all the butter is melted. Whisk until the glaze is homogeneous. Remove from the heat, stir in vanilla extract. Keep chocolate glaze warm for dipping. Glaze thickens as it cools, simply warm it up as needed.

Pour glaze into a bowl, dip one square cake at a time. Use a fork to help you turn the cake to coat. Then let the cake sit on a fork and tap the fork or your wrist to release any excess glaze, allowing it to drip back into a bowl. Coat each glazed cake square in coconut.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The sponge cake component was a total dream to work with, perfect bake, flat, allowing me to cut square pieces without any struggle. I made the cake the day before, kept it covered with Saran wrap and a towel at room temperature. Next morning I cut the pieces, glazed and coated them with coconut. My advice is to work near a sink, rinse and dry your fingers after each piece that gets coated. It is a messy process but I thought it was going to be much worse. To coat in coconut, I dropped the glazed piece on the bowl, then used a fork to flip it. At that point I could hold the piece with my fingers touching the two sides that already had coconut on them, and coated the sides turning the piece with my hand. That worked well, using a fork was just too awkward for me. I donated the whole batch, but whenever I make a recipe for the first time, I save one for me and the husband to taste. Two thumbs all the way up, moist cake, delicious coating, chocolate and coconut make a wonderful match. I really hope you give Haniela’s recipe a try, it is a nice baking project to tackle, and you will feel quite accomplished later…

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8Jul2026

SESAME-CRUSTED FETA WITH BLACK LIME HONEY SYRUP

Posted in Appetizers, Breakfast & Brunch by sallybr

This recipe has Ottolenghi written all over, as it should because he created it. Available online clicking here. It was my first time using black lime powder, an ingredient I recently showcased in In My Kitchen.

SESAME-CRUSTED FETA WITH BLACK LIME HONEY SYRUP
(slightly modified from Ottolenghi)

serves 2

for the cheese:
1 block of Greek feta (360g), cut into 4 triangles
35g rice flour
1 large egg, well beaten
100g mixed black and white sesame seeds, lightly toasted
olive oil spray

for the honey syrup:
120g honey
1 tsp ground black lime
juice of 1 lemon

Line a small, shallow baking dish with parchment paper. Pat dry the feta pieces, then dip each piece in the flour, gently shaking off the excess. Coat in the egg, followed by the sesame seeds,
making sure the feta pieces are completely coated. Transfer each piece to your prepared dish and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Heat the oven to 425 or use an air-fryer. Spray the coated feta pieces with the oil and bake from cold, for 18 minutes, very gently flipping the pieces over halfway, or until golden and warmed.
.
While the feta is baking, put the honey and black lime into a small saucepan on a medium-high heat. Once it starts to bubble, turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until it turns a deep amber caramel, about 5 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

When the feta triangles are ready, pour the lemon syrup directly over the feta in the baking
dish and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: It is really important to cool the feta triangles in the fridge, they need to be absolutely firm before baking or they will be too soft and melt too quickly. The honey syrup: you will make more than you need, but it is hard to scale it down, so just keep it in the fridge, and I am sure you will find plenty of ways to use it. You can also make more triangles, like in the original recipe from Ottolenghi’s website. Even when cool to almost room temperature these feta concoctions are tasty, with a very complex mixture of flavors. A lovely simple appetizer or brunch item.

I don’t think the honey should be reduced for more than five minutes, because it might get a little bitter. But that might also depend on the kind of honey you start with. I used an all-natural raw honey from a farm in Kansas.

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